Margaret Greenwood

Margaret Greenwood
Margaret Greenwood
	Official portrait, 2019
Shadow Minister for Schools
	In office; 9 April 2020 – 15 October 2020
Leader	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Mike Kane
Succeeded by	Wes Streeting
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	In office; 12 March 2018 – 6 April 2020
Leader	Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by	Debbie Abrahams
Succeeded by	Jonathan Reynolds
Shadow Minister for Employment
	In office; 9 October 2016 – 8 May 2018
Leader	Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by	Nick Thomas-Symonds
Succeeded by	Mike Amesbury
Member of Parliament; for Wirral West
	In office; 7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Esther McVey
Succeeded by	Matthew Patrick
Personal details
Born	14 March 1959 (age 65)
Political party	Labour
Website	Official website

Margaret Greenwood (born 14 March 1959) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wirral West from 2015 to 2024. She is a member of the Labour Party.^[1]

Biography

A former teacher and community activist,^[2] Greenwood later worked as a web consultant.^[3] She is a founder member of Defend our NHS.^[3]

In 2013, she was selected to contest the constituency of Wirral West in the 2015 general election.^[3] In a high-profile campaign, Greenwood narrowly unseated the Conservative cabinet minister Esther McVey.

In March 2018, Greenwood began acting as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after Debbie Abrahams temporarily stepped aside.^[4] She was appointed as a permanent replacement for the Shadow DWP Secretary in May 2018. Until November 2018, Greenwood was shadowing Esther McVey, who had returned to Parliament at the 2017 general election.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2018, Greenwood expressed concern over the effects of poverty and austerity, saying: "The government should listen to the people being pushed into poverty by its policies. Universal credit is failing miserably, leaving families in debt, [in] rent arrears and at risk of becoming homeless. Three million children are growing up in poverty despite living in a working household."^[5] Greenwood also said in 2018: "There is something seriously wrong when the number of people in work in poverty is increasing faster than employment."^[6]

On 6 April 2020, upon the election of Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party, Greenwood was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Jonathan Reynolds,^[7] becoming Shadow Minister for Schools.^[8] She resigned as Shadow Minister for Schools on 15 October 2020 to vote against the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, which would authorise some undercover police officers and government officials to commit criminal offences, as Labour had whipped MPs to abstain.^[9]

On 23 May 2023, Greenwood issued a statement saying that she did not intend to stand for reelection in the 2024 general election.^[10]

Notes

^ Acting from 12 March to 8 May 2018.

References

^ "Wirral West parliamentary constituency - Election 2015". BBC News. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^ Helen Carter (8 May 2015). "Conservative Esther McVey loses her Wirral seat by just over 400 votes". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Liam Murphy (27 May 2013). "Labour choose Margaret Greenwood to take on Esther McVey in Wirral West". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^ Walker, Peter (11 March 2018). "Labour's Debbie Abrahams investigated by party over 'workplace issue'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
^ Booth, Robert; Butler, Patrick (16 November 2018). "UK austerity has inflicted 'great misery' on citizens, UN says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
^ Partington, Richard (4 December 2018). "Four million British workers live in poverty, charity says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
^ "Keir Starmer appoints Shadow Cabinet". The Labour Party. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
^ Whittaker, Freddie (9 April 2020). "Margaret Greenwood appointed shadow schools minister". Schools Week. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
^ Whittaker, Freddie (15 October 2020). "Shadow schools minister Margaret Greenwood resigns". Schools Week. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
^ "Margaret Greenwood says she will not stand at next General Election". Birkenhead News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.

External links

Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
Voting record at Public Whip

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Esther McVey	Member of Parliament for Wirral West 2015–2024	Succeeded by Matthew Patrick
Political offices
Preceded by Debbie Abrahams	Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2018–2020	Succeeded by Jonathan Reynolds